You see, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each of us are unique creations with gifting’s we may not even be aware of.
We were created with a purpose for God, sadly some of us will never know it because you don’t understand who you are, or even to whom you belong.
The world will tell you how ugly you are. The devil will tell you how screwed up you are and remind you about your past. You fall prey to believing no one wants you, not even God, and your past dictates your future. You are covered with scars from childhood trauma, broken relationships, rejection after rejection, perceived failure upon failure. Some of the words spoken over you were as a razor strap, breaking your spirit and wounding your soul.
You wear a façade of strength and happiness, yet inside you cry. You hide your shame under make-up, job titles, wrong relationships, addictions…. but inside you still feel it. You cannot hide from YOU.
Stop for a minute, listen very closely, be still… I want you to hear this, you, YES, YOU! Have been fearfully and wonderfully made by the hands of a Father who loves you and gave Himself for you, because you are worth it to Him. You are His Beloved.
What has wounded you was not of Him, but He wants you to know He brings healing to you if you can just trust Him and believe. He will remove the rags of sin, shame, anger, sorrow, regret, rejection, abandonment, fear…. and He will wash you clean and dress you in a new robe. He will wash you with His Spirit and you will rise up, and behold you are a new creation. Redemption and healing comes in His Name.
You are one of His own. You belong to Him. You will never fit in where you do not belong. You will never be comfortable being who you are not created to be. The world would not receive Him, it will not receive you either. But, oh, you are beautiful, because you are His and you belong in His family. Healing and deliverance comes only through Him.
I was reminded of this beautiful story this morning and I want to share it with you. What the world calls ugly, He calls beautiful.
Enjoy!
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling
It was lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up in the meadows looked beautiful. The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language, which he had learnt from his mother. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the midst of which were deep pools. It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the country. In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house close by a deep river, and from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves, so high, that under the tallest of them a little child could stand upright. The spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest, watching for her young brood to hatch; she was beginning to get tired of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out of their shells, and she seldom had any visitors. The other ducks liked much better to swim about in the river than to climb the slippery banks, and sit under a burdock leaf, to have a gossip with her.
At length one shell cracked, and then another, and from each egg came a living creature that lifted its head and cried, “Peep, peep.”
“Quack, quack,” said the mother, and then they all quacked as well as they could, and looked about them on every side at the large green leaves. Their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, because green is good for the eyes.
“How large the world is,” said the young ducks, when they found how much more room they now had than while they were inside the egg-shell.
“Do you imagine this is the whole world?” asked the mother; “Wait till you have seen the garden; it stretches far beyond that to the parson’s field, but I have never ventured to such a distance. Are you all out?” she continued, rising; “No, I declare, the largest egg lies there still. I wonder how long this is to last, I am quite tired of it;” and she seated herself again on the nest.